Technology Milestones in Cars | Lubbock, TX

Cars have come a long way since the model T first rolled off the assembly line in 1908. Since then, cars have gotten much smarter and more convenient. And with self-driving smart cars quickly becoming a reality, there’s no reason to think this trend of improvement is slowing down. Let’s look at some of the most important technological advancements in the history of automobiles, according to Popular Mechanics writer Ben Stewart and CEBOS.com.

Air Conditioning

Today it may be hard to imagine, but it took more than three decades for air conditioning to make its way into cars. The Packard was the first production vehicle to sport A/C in 1940, however it wasn’t until the 1970’s that a majority of new cars came equipped with air conditioning units. Today, more than 99 perfect of cars come standard with this feature.

Seatbelts

While some cars offered optional seat belts as early as the late 1940’s, they didn’t become common in most cars until 1968, when the US government passed a law requiring automakers to include lap and shoulder safety belts as standard features in all of their consumer vehicles.

Smart Keys

For many, an old-fashioned car key already seems like ancient history, but smart car keys are relatively new. Mercedes-Benz was the first to offer a smart key in 1998 that allowed for push-button start without inserting a traditional key into the ignition. The earliest versions were considerably bulkier than the key fobs we are used to today but it was clear from the start that a new kind of key was taking over.

Rearview Backup Camera

Let’s face it, parallel parking and backing up have always been a pain, that is, until the introduction of rearview cameras in our cars. Infiniti was the first to introduce this game-changing technology in 2002 on their Q45 models. Today, about half of all cars come standard with rearview cameras.

When the first cars were built, no one would have dreamed of the advancements that have been made since. And with innovation occurring faster than ever before, all of us at Pollard Used Cars can’t wait to see what advancements happen in the near future!

Was this page helpful? Read tons of other great articles over on our blog!